Parks and Recreation in Sonoma
County

Located approximately 50 miles north of San Francisco,
Sonoma County - home of giant redwoods - offers a great variety of
Federal, State and local parks. The climate is mild throughout the year;
the coastal area tends to be cool; the interior is mild in winter and can
be hot on summer days. Nights and evenings are generally cool.

"I firmly believe, from what I have seen,that this
is the chosen spot of all this earthas far as Nature is
concerned."

Along more than thirty miles of rugged and scenic coastline of the Pacific
ocean are numerous parks where the visitor can camp, hike, observe a variety of
sea and bird life, and enjoy nature. The Sonoma Coast offers spectacular scenery
which is enhanced by profuse wildflower displays in the spring and early summer.
Parks are listed South to North and include:

These guides provide paddleboating information
for self-guided and guided tours on the Gualala and Russian Rivers. The
full-screen maps provide a perspective on all sections of the rivers, including
both road maps and topo maps. The guides include hyperlinks to online and
printed information about Sonoma County's rivers, including updated river flow
information.

(Sort alphabetically. Section 1=canoeing-kayaking, 2=rafting-oarboating,
3=conservation-environment, 4=fishing-driftboating, 5=hiking-camping,
6=other-websites) These directories provide links to websites on river
recreation and river conservation. Organized by river watersheds, the
directories provide information on many types of outdoor recreation
opportunities in and around Sonoma County"s river canyons and the many local
organizations that are working to protect them.

Lake Sonoma. Nestled at the end of Dry Creek, one of the world's most
prestigious wine growing regions, Lake Sonoma is one of the prime recreational
areas in Northern California which receives well over a million visitors
annually. Completed in 1983 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Warm Springs
Dam forms Lake Sonoma with over 2,700 surface acres of water for canoes,
sailboats, motorboats, fishing and skiing. Forty miles of trails are available
to horseback riders and hikers. In addition to developed campgrounds, boat-in
campsites and many picnic areas, Lake Sonoma hosts the Don Clausen Fish
Hatchery, which is themost modern fish hatchery in the State of
California.

Highway 12 runs east from Santa Rosa to the town of Sonoma through the Valley
of the Moon, bounded by the Mayacamas mountains on the north and Sonoma Mountain
to the South. Extensive vineyards stretch along the highway on both sides.

Historic Sonoma and Petaluma Adobe.

Sonoma State Historic
Park consists several restored historic buildings which date back to the
earliest days of the Mexican era and the beginnings of California as part of the
United States.

Rancho
Petaluma was by all accounts the largest and richest privately owned Mexican
estates north of San Francisco Bay and one of the most important in Alta
California. Exact boundaries of the rancho were of great debate especially after
U.S. take-over of California in 1846. Authentic furniture and interpretive
displays in Petaluma Adobe make it possible to visualize many aspects of life on
Vallejo's sprawling rancho.

There are many opportunities to volunteer in all parks.
Activities are adapted to the skills and desires of volunteers and include
leading tours, maintaining and improving trails, staffing museums and visitor
centers, driving golf carts for visitors needing assistance, leading educational
walks for students and doing office work. Benefits may include free
passes to parks and free camping permits.